Electronic devices, including numerous portable electronic devices, have gained widespread use and may provide a variety of functions including, for example, telephonic, electronic messaging and other personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Electronic devices include, for example, several types of mobile stations such as simple cellular telephones, so-called smart telephones or (smart phones), wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital audio/video players, digital audio/video recorders, navigation devices (such as global positioning system navigators), remote controls, and laptop or pad/tablet-styled computers, which may have wireless 802.11, Bluetooth™, and/or near-field communications capabilities.
Many electronic devices are not only portable (capable of being readily moved from place to place) but may also be handheld (that is, sized and shaped to be held and carried in a human hand, and capable of being used while held or carried). Some electronic devices, including some electronic devices that can be used while held or carried, can be used while the electronic device rests upon a supporting surface such as a table or desk. Although portability may have many advantages, portability may also entail risks of a variety of accidents or incidents (such as dropping the device or bringing the device into harsh contact with another object or surface) that can lead to cosmetic blemishes, immediate failure of the device, or a shortened operating lifetime for the device.